A bit of a Dilemma

[CharlesHarris]

When the worst happens, how are you going to deal with extended family? In my case extended family is limited. Brother his wife live 100 miles away. We are back-up locations for each other and share in our preps.

Friends? I have encouraged a few friends and neighbors to cooperate in preps. We have agreed to form a community for mutual benefit and protection and would pool our resources and supplies. Each family has agreed to take in the other in case of a house fire, etc, but the plan to stay put at home if it is safe to do so.

How to deal with outright refugees who are strangers?

I prefer to keep a low profile and won't encourage visitors unknown to me. I live alone and cannot maintain or defend my place in the long term, alone, as I get older. So, I must build a small community of dependable neighbors and friends. Strangers and the uninvited generally won't be welcome, but as Brigham Young said, "sometimes it's cheaper to feed the Indians than to fight them." This is a judgement call which factors your intelligence and risk assessment against chartity and humanity. The reality is that while I will assist the truly needy who don't appear to be a threat, I'll do my best to remain vigiliant and maintain OPSEC.

Can you defend and manage your current property with the people you have there now? No, I can't. That's why neighbors have planned together to develop a security plan, control ingress and egress from our neighborhood, establish communications and maintain neighborhood patrols and welfare checks.

Do you need more? Yes. Working on vetting people with needed skills and recruiting them....

Where are you getting them? Neighbors who are dependable and well known to me and a few close friends with useful skills who are trustworthy and loyal. But is someone is new to the neighborhood some detective work is needed. If they have a job which requires a current security clearance or a concealed weapon permit, that means they have passed a criminal background check and FBI background check.

How are you selecting them? Mostly through personal knowledge, trust and rapport developed through long association. Approaching persons with specific skills, volunteer fire, emergency medical, military, law enforcement, building trades, engineering and mechanical.

How are you sending others on their way? I've been thinking about "Danger Unexploded Ordinance" or biohazard quarantine signs, "PLAGUE - stay away!" with skull and crossbones 8-)

If you are taking on boarders?? If they are strangers NO! - There is sickness here! You do not want to be exposed, please go away.

Shoe on the other foot:

Same scenario except YOU are the refugee.

Your place no longer exists. . .

How do you link up with others to assist you and your family?

PACE planning, alternate locations and travel. Most important is a somewhat distant neighbor's farm within 10 miles, walking distance. Alternate drive locations at 50, and 100 miles. Need to determine location and routing for one farther away

What are your standards? Staying alive, healthy and free.

What are you willing to give up to hopefully gain some security? Am willing share my skills and stuff with like minded people who can reciprocate with things I in turn need.

Comments or discussion?